autumn. . . i love that word.

 well it finally got cool enough around here to decorate for fall.
i don't go crazy...but i do enjoy making my home feel cozy and fallish.

i'm soooo enjoying having my windows open.

 

i love digging in my fall box and figuring out what i can do with what i've got.
those pumpkins are just some old ceramic ones that i spray painted last year....sitting on top of some fake berry stuff and grapevine napkin rings that i've had forever.

 nothing says fall like aj watching football with the rabbit ears.

i love the promise & hope of a new season.
changing seasons are such a picture of our lives.
God doesn't let us stay in the same place for too long.
sometimes our season we're in is hard, but there's always the promise of a new day and new season, right around the corner. Pin It

good things

this weekend we went to the ancient paths seminar.
it was so good. life changing, i'd say.
we are still processing everything we learned.
it was long.
we were glad we went and glad it was over.
we're excited about what God has for us for the next phase of our lives. :)

the weekend before that we took the boys to their first ever drive-in movie.
usually they are way too late for our early-to-bed-early-to-rise boys.
but this one started at 7:45, which is still past sawyer's bed time, but we decided it was worth a try.

 it's right down the road from us.
and it pretty much hasn't changed a bit since i was a little girl.
i love that.
so kitchy and fun.

 that slide was rick-e-ty.
seriously, same slide i played on.

 

aj was staying right  close to sawyer because there was some creep-tastic dude loitering around that offered to take sawyer down the slide with him. . . on his lap.

ummmm, no thanks.

time for the consessions.

 i can't get enough of this place.
i'm so glad they haven't changed it.
it's how a drive in should look.

 tell me you love these light fixtures.

 they had it made in the back of our yuk.
blankets, stuffed friends, big ol bucket of popcorn....looked so cozy to me.
except for the fact that sawyer immediately dumped the popcorn out and wore the bucket on his head.
other than that. . .

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ornamental turtles!

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the progression of a breakfast nook

our dining "area" has evolved over the five years that we've lived here.
i don't have pictures from the very beginning because i had a baby 4 days after we moved in and decor was not on the top of my list.
but it was similar to this:

a year ago a i changed our boob light fixture (which we have all over the rest of our house) out for a 7 dollar chandy. 
in february i painted the table.

 in march we painted the walls.

in april i made a massive chalk board for one wall.

  the other wall has sat blank since we painted.
it's been mocking me.
i think the best thing there would be a window, but that's a teensy bit out of our price range.

[i'm trying to decide whether or not to put the red curtains back up or do drapes on either side...thoughts?]

so in lieu of a window,  here's our new set up.

i turned the cabinet flush against the wall instead of at an angle.
why did it take me so long to do that?

this lamp makes me so happy.
i got the shade at the salvation army thrift store for TWO DOLLARS!
when i saw that clean lined drum shade for 2 bucks i could hardly believe it.
looks very similar to pb versions for $40 on up. 
the base is from walmart for $15.

 the ferris wheel print is the one aj took of avery and i at a local festival.
i played with in on picnik.com & printed it at sam's for 6 bucks.

the N is just one of those cheapy fiberboard ones from hoblob for 1.99, spray painted with what i could find in the garage.
i found that other little frame in my closet.
it was oak with gold trim. i sprayed it with some gray primer.
then i printed out a quote that is especially meaningful to me.
it's based this verse:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered. " Matthew 10:29-30

 i love this little corner now. :)

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help a girl out?

i couldn't wait any longer.
i had to get a big ol' fluffy mum to put on my front porch.
i love it.
it says fall even if the weather doesn't.

but here's the problem.
i am death to mums.
seriously.
it's not a week and my mums start dying.
and i sooooo want this one to stay pretty for fall.
so in need your tips!
i've been babying this thing like crazy to try to keep it alive for longer than a week. . . i.e.: i've been watering it every morning.

but what else to do?
these record high temp we've been having are not helping.

i randomly have this other mum that has popped up in our landscaping.

i'm so excited about it.
i think one year i must have buried my dead mum here on a whim.
i guess it just now decided to pop up!
i have high hopes for this one.
i always have better luck with plants in the ground.
mostly because at least they get some dew to drink when i am irresponsible and don't water my plants.
i can't wait to see all those buds open up.
okay so if any of you have a green thumb, i'd love your tips. 
 ****************************************************************************************

also on the topic of asking for help......do you want to help some sweet kiddos in Sierra Leone?
Word Made Flesh works in the Kroo Bay slums. 
they do a good news club once a week with the sweet kids.
at the end of the meeting time they give each child a hard boiled egg. 
for many of the kids that is their only protein all week. 
a group of christian women bloggers went there in march and brought a suitcase of vitamins for the kids.
they were able to give each child a vitamin along with their egg.
now they need more vitamins.   
some girlfriends and i are gathering up some vits to send.
if you live near me, i'd love to add yours to the package.
or you can just send money via paypal to jody to save shipping. 
for more details & pictures of the sweet kiddos read these ladies' blogs: meg, 
cassie, 
pam,
kari
 

blessings!
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i have 8 casserole in my freezer

my friend stacy had the great idea to use our mom's day out morning to make freeze ahead meals.

 she doesn't love to cook, so it was some good entertainment listening to her interpret the recipes. :)

 we're not afraid of some great value.

it was really fun, albeit a bit hectic.
we weren't sure what to expect but it took us the better part of the day.
we made 16,  9X13 casseroles.....so we each went home with 8 full casseroles.
we both want to do it again, and we'll know better next time and be a bit more prepared.
i.e.: do more prep work ahead of time.

it's a good thing she has a big kitchen because we made a big ol' mess.

we made king ranch chicken, spaghetti bake, stuffed jumbo shells, & chicken bake.
we came away with 2 of each casserole.

do you like stacy's method of "mincing" the carrots? 
if you can't tell, she's peeling the carrots into the pan. :)

in an effort to be efficient, i quadrupled my recipe and made 4 at once.
that makes for a very full pot.

what about y'all?
have you ever done freeze ahead meals? got any great recipes you want to share?

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do your kids have super powers?

mine do.
they can turn this:

into this:

in about 15 minutes flat. Pin It

in which i make fun of myself.

in looking through my big, unorganized box of photos this morning, i stumbled across this gem.

who's that hottie?
you're jealous.

yeah, that's me, circa 1989 (i think).
6th grade.
avery saw this picture and asked if i was in 2nd grade.
thanks, buddy.

i loved that jacket.
i vividly remember picking it out at jcpenney.
i thought it was so cool.
you know you love my acid wash jeans. 
and my claw bangs.
i remember thinking i looked so rad in this outfit.
i went to a soccer game with some friends and i was walking down the hill holding the jacket over my shoulder with one finger.

yep.
then i asked my friend if she wanted to carry my jacket for me because i was sure she would want the privilege of carrying my awesome jacket.
i was so thoughtful.
she said no.
burn. Pin It

september thirteenth. a normal day.

i'm still wearing my pajamas.
just thought you should know.

today is aj's first day at his new bank....in our town!! 
he came home for lunch. 
happy happy happy.

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my 29 cent flowers

these are the flowers i made with my sheets of felt from joann's. :)
i also put a hair clip on the back so i can wear them in my hair if i want.
i attached a hair clip to the back of that big flower i showed you yesterday.
now i have a whole slew of fun accessories.


fridays make me so happy.
tomorrow night i get to go on a date with my man & our bff's.
it's a make-up for the night we were supposed to go out this week but had to cancel because sawyer projectile vomited 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave.

it's supposed to be highs in the 80's for the next week.
i'm ready for some crisp fall days.
not a big fan of this in between business.
too breezy to swim, not cool enough for a cardi.

i feel as though i am sooooo scatter brained lately.
i keep taking wrong exits or forgetting what time piano lessons are or forgetting to pay bills.
am i getting early onset alzheimers?  or do i have ADD? (most likely)
is there some vitamin i can take for a scattery head?

loving this verse today,

1Timothy 6:6-8

But godliness with contentment is a great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out. 

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

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what i'm doing instead of cleaning my house.

i'm super stoked.

csn stores (who i did a giveaway for in july) is giving me the opportunity to do a product review!!!
awesomesauce.
i get to decide what i want to review. (yay!!)
maybe some new Corelle dishes?

a new shower curtain?
some faux wainscoating?
a world map perhaps?
it's so fun to spend someone else's money. :)


it's starting to ever so slowly cool down around here.
rainy & high of 81 today.
the promise of autumn makes me in a crafty mood.
a new joann's opened here today and i was one of the first howevermany customers and got a $5 gift card.
yes, please.
i grabbed some supplies to make some flower pins and barrettes. 

 the lace & yarn & tshirt came from the thrift store. 
i'm gonna try to make one of those ruffly pillows with that t-shirt.
it was 99cents. 

i love how my burlap wreath turned out yesterday.

 i love the loads and loads of fluffy stacked burlap. 

 

 
i love that it was completely free since i had a big ol' stash of burlap from my craft fair days.
and i used every bit of it.

it's not quite cool enough for me to justify getting the pumpkins down just yet.
maybe towards the end of this month?
it just doesn't feel right to have a bowl of gourds out when my kids are still doing this. .. .

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